Seventeen-year-old fast bowler Chris Bridge took a sensational hat-trick to kick-start a momentous weekend of cricket at Collingham and Linton CC.

Bridge’s heroics inspired Collingham to a two-run victory at Guiseley on Saturday, before his young team reached the Aire-Wharfe Waddilove Cup semi-final on Sunday.

And captain Sam Anderson said the bowler had written himself into league folklore.

“I can’t think of anyone that has taken a first division hat-trick in the Aire-Wharfe at 17,” he said.

“It’s a great achievement and it again shows how these young lads are contributing to this team.”

Second-bottom Collingham were on the brink of a second defeat of the season to Guiseley when Bridge (3-44) removed Nasi Jamal (caught), Nadim Hussain (bowled) and Bradley Reeve (LBW) in consecutive deliveries.

Guiseley’s final pair then finished two runs shy of Collingham’s opening 214-7 after failing to hit a boundary off Ben Jacklin’s final ball.

The victory moved Collingham out of the Division One relegation zone. And it also gave the youthful Harewood Roaders confidence to reach the Waddilove Cup last four, by thrashing Ben Rhydding on Sunday.

Toby Jacklin took four wickets to bowl Rhydding out for 110 before he fired an unbeaten half-century as Collingham hammered their Division One rivals by nine wickets.

Collingham won the Waddilove Cup when they completed the league and cup double in 2012. But they have since experienced a transformation in their first team – with a greater emphasis placed on youth players.

Anderson said it would be a massive accomplishment for the new-look team to reach the final, let alone take the honours.

But with Division Two opposition in the shape of Adel awaiting next, and Otley and Guiseley competing in the second semi-final, the captain believes his young performers have every chance of ending the competition with the silverware.

Anderson said: “For how young this team is, to get to the final would be a great achievement. It seems like Adel have a fairly decent team, being third in Division Two. But we will go into the game as favourites, being the Division One team.

“The other semi-final is between Otley and Guiseley and we have beaten both of those this season.

“It would be a hard game, but I know the 11 that I put out can beat anyone on our day.”

Meanwhile, Bardsey dropped to second-bottom in Division Three after crashing to a seven-wicket loss against money-bags Horsforth.

Bardsey were bowled out for 86 before Horsforth knocked the total off in 20.3 overs.